NFS Form 10-900 (Oct. 1990) OMBNo. 10024-0018
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form 2 f -J999 L This form is for use in nominating or requesting determination for individual propert es anJN4PtH^.FSSJ3rl§ftiJ
Signature of/certifying official/Title Q (J ' Date State Historic Preservation Office, Colorado Historical Society___ State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion, the property [ ] meets [ ] does not meet the National Register criteria. ( See continuation sheet for additional comments [ ].)
Signature of certifying official/Title Date
State or Federal agency and bureau
4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that the property is: [ vi entered in the National Register See continuation sheet I ]. [ ] determined eligible for the National Register See continuation sheet [ ]. [ ] determined not eligible for the National Register. [ ] removed from the National Register [ ] other, explain See continuation sheet [ ]. Lennox House El Paso / Colorado Name of Property County/State
5. Classification
Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property (Check as many boxes as apply) (Check only one box) (Do not count previously listed resources.) Contributing Noncontributing [X ] private [X ] building(s) [ ] public-local [ ] district 1 0 buildings [ ] public-State [ ] site [ ] public-Federal [ ] structure 0 0 sites [ ] object 0 0 structures
0 0 objects
1 0 Total
Name of related multiple property listing. Number of contributing resources (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing.) previously listed in the National Register. Historic Resources of Colorado College. Colorado Springs, Colorado N/A______
6. Function or Use Historic Function Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) (Enter categories from instructions) DOMESTIC/Single Dwelling EDUCATION/Education-related housing EDUCATION/College
7. Description Architectural Classification Materials (Enter categories from instructions) (Enter categories from instructions) LATE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY foundation STONE REVIVALS/Mission Revival walls STUCCO
roof TILE other__
Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) Lennox House El Paso / Colorado Name of Property County/State
8.Statement of Significance
Applicable National Register Criteria Areas of Significance (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for (Enter categories from instructions) National Register listing.) SOCIAL HISTORY EDUCATION [X] A Property is associated with events that have made ARCHITECTURE a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history
[ ] B Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. Periods of Significance 1900-1949 [X] C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. Significant Dates [ ] D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. 1900______1937 Criteria Considerations (Mark "x" in all the boxes that apply.)
Property is: Significant Person(s) (Complete if Criterion B is marked above). [ ] A owned by a religious institution or used for religious N/A______purposes. [ ] B removed from its original location.
[ ] C a birthplace or grave. Cultural Affiliation N/A______[ ] D a cemetery.
[ ] E a reconstructed building, object, or structure.
[ ] F a commemorative property. Architect/Builder Sterner, Frederick J. [ ] G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years.
Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.)
9. Major Bibliographic References Biblioqraphy (Cite the oooksT articles and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.)
Previous documentation on file (NPS): Primary location of additional data:
[ ] preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been [X ] State Historic Preservation Office requested [ ] Other State Agency [ ] previously listed in the National Register [ ] Federal Agency [ ] previously determined eligible by the National Register [ ] Local Government [ ] designated a National Historic Landmark [ ] University [ ] recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey [X ] Other: #______[ J recorded by Historic American Engineering Record Name of repository: # ______Special Collections Archives. Colorado College Library ______Lennox House Ei Paso / Colorado Name of Property County/State
10.Geographical Data
Acreage of Property Less than one acre
UTM References (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet.)
A. Zone 13 Easting 515670 Northing 4299720 B. Zone Easting Northing
C. Zone Easting Northing D. Zone Easting Northing [ ] See continuation sheet Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.)
Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.)
11. Form Prepared By name/title R. Laurie Simmons and Thomas H. Simmons, historians organization Front Range Research Associates, Inc. ____ date 21 May 1999 (revised) street & number 3635 W. 46th Ave.______telephone (303) 477-7597_____ city or town Denver state CO ____ zip code 80211______
Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form:
Continuation Sheets
Maps A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. A Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources.
Photographs Representative black and white photographs of the property.
Additional Items (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items)
Property Owner (Complete this item at the request of SHPO or FPO.) name The Colorado College, c/o Office of the President______street & number 14 E. Cache La Poudre telephone (719) 389-6700 city or town Colorado Springs state CO zip code 80903______
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.). Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-/127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Projects (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503. NFS Form 10-900a OMBNo. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number 7 Page 1 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS)
Description
Lennox House is a historic building on the Colorado College campus which meets the registration requirements specified in the Multiple Property Documentation Form "Historic Resources of Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado." Lennox House is associated with the development of north Colorado Springs attendant to the Cripple Creek mining boom, having been built as a private residence in 1900 by William Lennox, a prominent Colorado Springs businessman and Cripple Creek mine owner. The house became part of the Colorado College campus by donation in 1936, and subsequently played a significant role in the institution's history, serving as the Student Union from 1937 to 1959. The building is associated with the historic context "Colorado College During World War I and the Great Depression, 1917-1941." The property type represented is Noncollegiate Residences. The building is one of the best preserved of the private residences acquired by the college, with features dating to its original function as a wealthy businessman's home and to its conversion to a student union. The building is significant as representative of the Mission Revival style and as representative of the work of Denver architect Frederick J. Sterner.
Lennox House is a substantial, two-and-a-half-story residence located on a corner lot on North Nevada Avenue on the campus of Colorado College. Lennox House and other large residences, many now owned by the college, line the east side of the street, facing the lawns and monumental educational buildings of the college to the west. A residential neighborhood lies east of Lennox House. North of Lennox House is a large paved parking lot enclosed with chainlink fencing. 1 The Mission Revival style of the house is displayed in large curvilinear parapets, smooth stucco walls, rosa (quatrefoil) and arched windows, a red tile roof, exposed rafter tails, and arcaded porches. The asymmetrical composition is superimposed on a rectangular plan and provides lively visual interest through a variety of projecting and recessed porches, coping and wall courses, decorative windows, contrasting textures, and grouped arches. The roof of intersecting gables fronted by parapets has widely overhanging open eaves with exposed rafter tails. The red tile roof covering provides strong contrast to the smooth white wall surface.
The front of Lennox House (west) is dominated by an off-center, projecting gabled bay fronted by a massive curvilinear roof parapet elaborated with coping (Photograph 1). This parapet covers the principal east-west gable of the house. The face of the parapet is pierced by a central rosa window. Two second story segmental arched windows centered beneath the rosa window are deeply recessed. The windows have decorative tracery in the upper sashes and tripartite division of the lower sashes. The sills of the windows form curved, stuccoed, balconet projections which cast arched shadows on the wall surface. A continuous sill course at the second story level ornaments all walls and is extended on the north into a curvilinear shaped wing wall with arched
1 The college plans to convert this area to a landscaped quadrangle. NPS Form 10-900a OMBNo. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number 7 Page 2 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS) opening and battered piers with stone bases. Adjacent to the wing wall is a recessed, arcaded porch. An intersecting side gable to the south has an inset, second-story, shed roof balcony with exposed rafter tails (Photograph 2). The south wall of the balcony features a rosa window, and segmental arched windows with tracery face the balcony, as do double doors surmounted by a segmental arch.
A projecting, hipped roof porch is adjacent to the recessed porch of the first story. The porch has a tile roof with widely overhanging eaves with exposed shaped rafter tails, rectangular piers, and large arched openings. The porch is accessed by tooled stone steps enclosed by low walls, the tops of which mimic the curvilinear lines of the roof parapet. The porch has a paneled ceiling. Flanking the entrance facing the porch are large segmental arched windows.
The south wall of the residence is symmetrical. Curvilinear roof parapets with coping are found at each end of the south wall, separated by a low curvilinear parapet wall (Photograph 3). The eastern parapet face has a central rosa window, while the western parapet's window has been replaced with a slab door accessed by metal firestairs extending from the ground. A chimney with arched vents at the top is visible behind the parapet roof of the south wall. The second story of the south wall has a central recessed balcony with an arcade of three round arches. The balcony is sheltered by a hipped roof with exposed rafter tails and tile roof covering. Flanking the central balcony are segmental arched windows with tracery in the upper sashes and two-part lower sections. The second story has a shared sill course and the outermost windows have rounded, projecting, stuccoed balconets. The firestairs extend to one of the arched openings of the balcony.
The first story of the south wall has a central, projecting, hipped roof porch with widely overhanging eaves, shaped exposed rafter tails, and red tile roofing. The porch has round arched openings, a solid stuccoed balustrade which extends to become curvilinear stair walls on the east and west, and rectangular piers. The porch steps are composed of tooled stone and the porch floor is clad with tile. The entrance facing the porch has a wood door, with tracery in its large rectangular light and sidelights. Flanking the central porch on the east and west are groups of three, narrow, round arched windows with tracery in the upper sashes and single-light lower sashes. Each window has a decorative, curved, metal balconet.
Like the front of the house, the rear (east) is asymmetrical, with a large, off-center, projecting gable covered by a curvilinear parapet (Photograph 4). The upper story of the parapet wall has two small, round arched, double-hung sash windows with tracery in the upper sashes. The second story of the rear wall has short, inset, segmental arched windows with a shared sill course, which is extended on the south as coping for the curvilinear top of the solid balustrade of an uncovered second story balcony. Two of the three original evenly spaced windows have been filled in and the remaining one has casement windows. The first story has a hipped roof projecting porch to NFS Form 10-900a OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number 7 Page 3 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS) the north and a one-story bay topped by the balcony to the south. The square bay has segmental arched openings with casement windows. The porch has curvilinear stairwalls and a center entrance. The porch door, transom, and large adjacent window have been filled in with latticed panels. The porch has painted tooled stone steps. Basement level segmental arched windows with metal security grilles are found on the rear and north walls.
The north wall of the house has a small, central curvilinear parapet fronting a gabled dormer flanked by two small hipped roof dormers with tile roofing (Photograph 5). Toward the east end of the roof is a tall, rectangular, flat top, stuccoed chimney. On the second story beneath the parapet is a conical roof curved bay window with multiple diamond-pane casement windows with transoms (Photograph 6). The double-hung sash windows of the second story are of varied size and are segmental arched. Windows west of the curved bay window have tracery in the upper sashes and the westernmost window has a projecting, curved, balconet.
A porte cochere with arched openings and curvilinear roof projects outward on the first story beneath the curved bay window. Facing the porte cochere is a segmental arched door flanked by windows. East of the porte cochere is an above ground bay window with hipped roof. The bay window has a paneled base supported by brackets, transoms with diamond-shaped panes, a central window with stained glass ornaments, and diamond-pane windows on the sides. East of the bay window is a modern slab door. Segmental arched windows are found on the east and west ends of the first story of the north wall. Windows west of the porte cochere are three-over-one-light double-hung sash. At the basement level west of the porte cochere is a band of four three-over- one-light windows facing a window well.
Alterations to the exterior include the addition of fire escape stairs to the south wall in 1961. To accommodate the fire escape, the western rosa window was replaced with a slab door. On the rear (east), two windows have been filled in and the porch openings have been filled with lattice panels.
Interior Features
Upon its conversion from a private residence into a college facility, Lennox House was remodeled, retaining its large, ornately ornamented public rooms on the first floor, and creating rooms for dining and recreation in the basement and offices and sleeping rooms on the upper floors. Several interior rooms of the first floor retain the opulence of the turn of the century homes of the upper class. The Colonial Revival interior of the house contrasts with the Mission Revival exterior. The floor of the wainscotted entrance vestibule is paved with tiny mosaic tiles. The double doors facing the porch are flanked by beveled glass sidelights and surmounted by a large arch. The interior entrance from the vestibule has double French doors with beveled glass lights and sidelights with NPS Form 10-900a 0MB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number 7 Page 4 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS)
stained glass and wood paneling. The wide hallway has wainscotted walls, a large fireplace with wood mantlepiece with fluted columns flanked by built-in seating, elaborate cornice moldings, and a rear wall with paneled wood and ornamental glass.
The rectangular drawing room/library to the south is ample enough to accommodate large gatherings. The room has paneled wainscot and a wood beamed ceiling. A focal point of the room is the large fireplace, which has a mantle supported by scroll brackets and flanked by elaborately carved pilasters; the wood chimneypiece extends almost to the ceiling (Photograph 7). Large pairs of paneled wood pocket doors are on the east, between this room and the dining room, and on the northern doorway leading to the hall. Built-in bookcases line three walls of the room, which has built-in window seating beneath the many large windows.
East of the drawing room/library is a dining room with paneled wainscot which features a large fireplace on the east wall and a built-in sideboard on the north wall. The fireplace has a large wood mantle with ornamental panels, carving, and three round arched niches (Photograph 7). Flanking the fireplace are a large window and an entrance with paneled door; both are surmounted by arches with ornamental molding springing from slender pilasters. The upper storage cabinet of the sideboard has doors richly glazed with leaded glass. This section of the cabinet is cantilevered outward above the lower section, which has curved corners and paneled drawers.
On the north side of the hall are entrances to staircases leading to the upper and lower floors of the house. The arched entrances are elaborated by wood molding with keystones which spring from fluted columns. The upper staircase has a curved, molded handrail and thin, spiral turned balusters (Photograph 8). The intermediate landing of the staircase is set in a curved bay window which has multiple diamond-pane casement windows and transoms with stained glass; a chandelier of colored glass hangs above the center of the landing.
The stairway to the basement leads to rooms which were created when the building became a student union in 1937. A large, open, rectangular room (created as a student grille) has paneled walls inset with painted murals. The ceiling has cornice moldings with floral patterns. The room has built-in seating and a tile floor. Double paneled doors with stained glass lights leads from the hallway to the grille. An adjacent billiard room has a wood floor and built-in fixtures. NFS Form 10-900a 0MB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number 7 Page 5 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS)
This architectural rendering of the Lennox house was featured in a local publication at the time of its construction (view northeast). SOURCE: Mountain Sunshine 2{Winter 1900- 01). NFS Form 10-900a OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number 7 Page 6 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS)
The south side of the building is shown in this undated historic photograph. SOURCE: Special Collections and Archives, The Colorado College Library. NFS Form 10-900a OMBNo. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number 7 Page 7 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS)
COLORADO COLLEGE AlE=yfl •-r-OT APPROVED BY ORAWNTY BELT A L(B0TT) HO'USET ! DRAWING I NO.
Lennox House, First Floor, 1984. SOURCE: Facilities Services, The Colorado College. NPSForm 10-900a 0MB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number 7 Page 8 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS)
COLORADO COLLEGE '- ''-O'l APPROVED »* RFTA ;DRAWING S.LCC7MD i NO ^ •*•
Lennox House, Second Floor, 1984. SOURCE: Facilities Services, The Colorado College. NFS Form 10-900a OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number 7 Page 9 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS) r t——i [ t_L_
COLORADO COLLEGE scAie:-/*' - r-o'| APPROVED IDBAWN BY DATE: &-T9-a*n I CUU/ ~ BE.TA DRAWING TWIRD NO. ? af
Lennox House, Third Floor, 1984. SOURCE: Facilities Services, The Colorado College. NPS Form 10-900a OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number 8 Page 10 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS)
Statement of Significance
Lennox House is significant in several categories identified in the Multiple Property Documentation Form "Historic Resources of Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado." Lennox House represents the Noncollegiate Residences property type. Lennox House is significant under Criterion A for its association with social history and education, and under Criterion C for its architecture. The building is significant for its association with early residential development of North Nevada Avenue opposite the college campus by prominent Colorado Springs families. The building represents the interrelationship of wealthy Cripple Creek mining investors and the college which they generously supported. The building is significant in the area of education for its association with The Colorado College, having served as the Student Union for the institution from 1937 to 1959. The building is an important early example of the Mission Revival style applied to residential architecture in Colorado Springs. The building is also significant for its representation of the domestic designs of architect Frederick Sterner. The Period of Significance for the building, 1900- 1949, begins with the date of construction of the house and extends through the historic period when it was utilized by the college as a center for student social activities. The year 1949 was selected as the closing date for the Period of Significance because the building's use by the college continues today and no more specific date appropriately ends the historic period.
From its beginning, wealthy Colorado Springs benefactors played a major role in the support of Colorado College, providing monetary gifts for the construction of buildings and for educational programs. Many of these supporters helped determine the future direction of the college by serving on such influential committees as the Board of Trustees. A number of the college's prominent contributors achieved their fortunes through investments in Cripple Creek during the 1890s, including men such as Spencer Penrose, Charles L. Tutt, Sr., Eugene Shove, Claude Boettcher, James J. Hagerman, and Verner Z. Reed. Colorado Springs quickly emerged as the financial center for the Cripple Creek mining boom. As wealth flowed from Cripple Creek, newly minted Colorado Springs millionaires lavished their money on Colorado College. 2
Lennox House is representative of this tradition of service and support, having been erected in 1900 by successful Colorado Springs businessman and Cripple Creek investor, William Lennox. Lennox served on the Colorado College Board of Trustees from 1901, a year after he built the house, until his death in 1936. An early investor in Cripple Creek mines, Lennox became a millionaire when that district became the leading producer of gold in the nation.
William Lennox, the child of Scottish immigrants, was born at the homestead of his parents in Iowa
2Robert D. Loevy, Colorado College: A Place of Learning, 1874-1999 (Colorado Springs: Colorado College, 1999), 59. NFS Form 10-900a OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number 8 Page 11 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS)
City, Iowa, in 1850. He attended public schools, Iowa State University, and Iowa City Commercial College. In 1872, his parents moved to Colorado Springs and purchased a ranch at Monument Park. William Lennox also moved to Colorado, spending several months prospecting and mining near Fairplay. In 1873, he started a feed and livery business in Colorado Springs. He and his wife, Belle Cowgill Lennox, whom he married in Colorado Springs in 1873, had four children.
In 1874, Lennox became the agent for the Denver & Rio Grande (D&RG) Railroad's coal yard in Colorado Springs. Two years later, he and a brother acquired a coal and transfer business, handling the fuel as agents for the D&RG, and later the Colorado Coal and Iron Company and the Colorado Fuel Company. Lennox subsequently bought out his brother's interest and became the largest coal dealer in El Paso County. At the same time, he continued his interest in mining, investing in operations in Summit and Gunnison counties. In 1881, he bought the El Paso claim, the original lode discovered by Robert Womack, who was the first to find gold at Cripple Creek. Shortly thereafter, Lennox organized and became the majority shareholder in the Gold King Mining Company, which shipped the first ore from Cripple Creek. He was also a principal owner of the famous Strong Mine in Cripple Creek, as well as other properties.
Lennox was a booster of Colorado Springs, served as a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and was described as "deeply interested" in everything which would advance the city. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees of Colorado College, he was also a trustee of the Myron Stratton Home, a facility which cared for needy children and the elderly. His business interests were varied, and he was described as "one of the conspicuous successes in the Colorado Springs business community." He served as president of the Exchange National Bank in Colorado Springs, and also maintained large cattle holdings in Texas. One of his major interests was education. One educator stated, "I know of no man in the State who takes a deeper or more helpful interest in educational matters than Mr. Lennox, and this interest is not of a passive moral support, but rather of the intensely practical sort, in the way of most liberal contributions for specific purposes whose needs appeal to him." The University of Denver also benefitted from his largesse. 3
As befitting his status as one of the leading citizens of Colorado Springs, Lennox decided to build a magnificent new home in an area across from the campus of Colorado College where other Cripple Creek millionaires were erecting mansions. In 1900, he acquired a large "beautiful site" at the northeast corner of North Nevada Avenue and Yampa Street. By this time, Colorado College
3Marshall Sprague, Money Mountain: The Story of Cripple Creek Gold (Lincoln, Ne.: University of Nebraska Press, 1953), 82, 244, 293; The Tiger, 5 March 1937, 1; Colorado College Special Collections, "College Board of Trustees, 1874-1998," March 1984, revised March 1999; Colorado Springs Daily Gazette, 14 August 1936; Colorado Springs Gazette, 2 May 1900, 6; William N. Byers, Encyclopedia of Biography of Colorado, vol. 1 (Chicago: Century Publishing & Engraving Co., 1901), 358-59; Frank Hall, History of the State of Colorado, vol. 4, (Chicago: Blakely Printing Co., 1889), 502-503. NPS Form 10-900a OMBNo. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number 8 Page 12 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS)
had erected several attractive buildings and was making improvements to the grounds of the campus. At the north end of the block, mining broker William S. Montgomery was also in the process of completing a new mansion. To plan his new home, Lennox hired noted Denver architect Frederick J. Sterner, who, with partner Ernest Varian, had recently won a competition to design the Second Antlers Hotel in Colorado Springs and was a favorite with the elite of the city.4
Frederick Junius Sterner was born in England in 1862, and came to the United States at the age of sixteen. He studied architecture in New York. By 1882, he was employed as a draftsman in the Denver office of F.E. Edbrooke & Company, the most illustrious architectural firm of the late nineteenth century in Colorado. In 1884, Sterner and Ernest Phillip Varian established Varian and Sterner, a collaboration which continued until the early twentieth century. Among the firm's most noted buildings were the Denver Athletic Club (1889), the Denver Club (1889, demolished), the Oakes Home Chapel (1903) in Denver, and the Second Antlers Hotel in Colorado Springs (1900- 01). Varian and Sterner also designed many substantial houses for wealthy Denver and Colorado Springs citizens. Sterner was popular with upper class citizens of Colorado Springs, and listed among his clients Dr. William A. Bell and Gen. William J. Palmer, founders of Colorado Springs, as well as other prominent residents of the city, including Ralph J. Preston, Dr. S.E. Solly, Sherwood Aldrich, F.H. Morley, and B.C. Alien. 5
The construction of the Lennox House was viewed with anticipation in Colorado Springs. A Gazette headline reported, "Wm. Lennox is Building Another Magnificent Residence for the North End." According to the newspaper,
People who have seen the plans and are able to speak with authority on such things do not hesitate to say that there is no residence in Colorado Springs at the present time either completed or in course of construction that will be the equal of Mr. Lennox's home. . . .
James H. Barry was selected as the general contractor for the construction of the residence. The architectural style was described as that of "old Spanish missions." The interior was to be finished entirely in hard wood and the design was described as "being open, giving the rooms a connected
4Colorado College Special Collections, "Buildings of Colorado College," 1984, revised 1996; The Tiger, 5 March 1937, 1; Mountain Sunshine 2(Winter 1900-01): 20. 5Sterner left Denver in 1905, and established offices in New York City with his sister, Maude Sterner Lindell. His brother, Albert Sterner, was a popular portrait painter in New York and provided him with connections to wealthy residents of the city. The architect designed a number of townhouses. In 1924, Sterner retired and returned to London to live. He died in 1931. Denver Post, 18 November 1931, 6; Rocky Mountain News Festival, 26 January 1969, 5; Thomas J. Noel and Barbara S. Norgren, Denver: The City Beautiful and its Architects (Denver: Historic Denver, 1986), 218-220; Mountain Sunshine 2(Winter 1900-01). NFS Form 10-900a OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number 8 Page 13 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS)
and roomy effect. There will be lots of large doorways and lots of large windows." The completed residence was reported to have cost $50,000. Writing in 1933, local historians Manly D. and Eleanor R. Ormes commented that "Mr. William Lennox's imposing house is the best example of this style [Mission] along the older homes." 6
William Lennox passed away in Colorado Springs in August 1936. The Lennox House was given to Colorado College through his estate. The nearby residence of William Montgomery had been donated to the school in 1914. During the 1930s, Colorado College expanded its facilities through gift and purchase of several of the large homes immediately adjacent to the campus, a policy some wags referred to as "The Growth That Nobody Saw."7
After Colorado College received Lennox House, it spent $40,000 on remodeling and renovating the residence to turn it into a student center. Edward L. Buntz was architect and R.E. Alderson was the general contractor for the remodeling. Before the acquisition of Lennox House, student social life at Colorado College centered around the booths at Murray's Drugs in a corner of the Plaza Hotel. When Lennox House opened, the college was able to provide a supervised facility for student social activities on the campus. Lennox House fulfilled the need for a central location for students to gather informally outside their dormitories and provided a college setting for meals, recreation, and social gatherings.8
When Lennox House opened in September 1937, it was described as "the center of undergraduate life." Henry E. Mathias, who had served for many years as head of the Geology Department, was appointed director of the facility. Mrs. J.R. McLenegan, described as having "experience in social work of various types," was selected to act as hostess at the center. Mrs. McLenegan lived in the building and was on duty day and night, seven days a week. The much anticipated opening day of the Student Center began with a tea for students and faculty, followed by a dance with music provided by an orchestra.
The building then included a basement grill with capacity of serving seventy-five students. The grill operated from 7:15 a.m. until 10:15 p.m., extending its hours until 1:15 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The main floor contained a spacious student lounge and reading room, which was also used for meetings, teas, and informal dances, and a private dining room. The second and third floors held offices for the student government and the school newspaper, and a game room
6Colorado Springs Gazette, 2 May 1900, 6; Mountain Sunshine, 2(Winter 1900-01): 20; and Manly D. Ormes and Eleanor R. Ormes, The Book of Colorado Springs (Colorado Springs, Colorado: The Denton Printing Company, 1933), 350-51. 7Loevy, 125. 8Robert Hill, Colorado College, 1874-1999, A History of Distinction (Colorado Springs: Colorado College Office of College Relations, 1998). NPS Form 10-900a OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number 8 Page 14 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS) equipped with billiard table. Among the groups with offices in Lennox House during the late 1930s were the Associated Women Students. In 1941, the college bookstore opened on the second floor. 9
In 1959, the Student Center moved to the newly finished Rastall Center. The Board of Trustees then approved a plan to remodel Lennox House for use as a fraternity house by Beta Theta Pi, with the condition that the fraternity raise the funds required for the project. 10 During the summers, the building was known as "German House," and was utilized by an intensive foreign language program. At German House, students pledged to speak only in German, except on special occasions. In addition to regular classroom study, students of German House attended laboratory sessions for practicing pronunciation, song sessions, German films, lectures, and discussions.
In the fall of 1989, the building was converted from a fraternity house to a coed dormitory, and was known again as "Lennox House." The college spent about $30,000 to recarpet and repaint the house, and stripped, sanded, and varnished the woodwork. Rooms in the building were quickly claimed by Colorado College students in the annual residence hall lottery. Stately Lennox House continues to serve as a popular coed dormitory. 11
9J. Juan Reid, Colorado College: The First Century, 1874-1974 (Colorado Springs: The Colorado College, 1979), 140-141; The Tiger, 5 March 1937; Colorado College Special Collections, "Notice to Faculty," 24 September 1937; Colorado College Special Collections, Letter from H.E. Mathias, Director of Lennox House, to Faculty, 9 September 1941 ; Colorado Springs Sunday Gazette and Telegraph, 19 September 1937; Observations by Members of the Camera Club at Colorado College, 2(April 1939). 10The fraternity later lost its charter following a number of disciplinary infractions. 11 Reid, 211; Colorado College Special Collections, Lennox House file; Loevy, 406. NFS Form 10-900a 0MB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number 9 Page 15 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS)
Bibliography
Byers, William N. Encyclopedia of Biography of Colorado. Vol. 1. Chicago: Century Publishing & Engraving Co., 1901.
Colorado College, Tutt Library, Special Collections.
Colorado Springs Gazette. 2 May 1900.
Colorado Springs Sunday Gazette and Telegraph. 19 September 1937.
Denver Post. 18 November 1931.
Denver Public Library. Western History Department. Colorado College Clipping file.
Hall, Frank. A History of the State of Colorado. Chicago: Blakely Printing Co., 1889.
Hill, Robert. Colorado College, 1874-1999, A History of Distinction. Colorado Springs: Colorado College Office of College Relations, 1998.
Loevy, Robert D. Colorado College: A Place of Learning, 1874-1999 Colorado Springs: Colorado College, 1999.
Mountain Sunshine. 2 (Winter 1900-01).
Noel, Thomas J. and Norgren, Barbara S. Denver: The City Beautiful and its Architects. Denver: Historic Denver, 1986.
Ormes, Manly D. and Eleanor R. Ormes. The Book of Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs, Colorado: The Denton Printing Company, 1933.
Reid, J. Juan. Colorado College: The First Century, 1874-1974. Colorado Springs: The Colorado College, 1979.
Rocky Mountain News. 26 January 1969.
The Tiger. 5 March 1937. NPSForm 10-900a OMBNo. 1024-0018 {Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number 10 Page 16 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS)
Boundary Description
The nominated property consists of the perimeter (footprint) of the building plus fifteen feet on all sides, in Block 203, Colorado Springs Company's Addition 1, Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado.
Boundary Justification
The nominated property encompasses the entire extent of the building and excludes other buildings. NPS Form 10-900a OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number Photographs Page 17 ___(Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS)
Photographic Index
The location and camera direction of photographic views are indicated on the Sketch Map. Information that is the same for all photographs:
Name of the Property: Lennox House, Colorado College City and State: Colorado Springs, Colorado Photographer: Thomas H. Simmons Date: May 1999 Location of Original Negatives:
Colorado College 14 E. Cache La Poudre Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903
Photograph Camera Description of View Number Direction 1 East Front (West side) 2 Northeast Front (west) and south sides 3 North South side wing 4 Southwest Rear (east) and north sides 5 South North side 6 Southeast North side and front (west side) 7 East Library/drawing room with dining room through opening beyond 8 Northwest Stairs to second floor from main hallway NFS Form 10-900a OMBNo. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number Sketch Map Page 18 (Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS)
The dot-and-dash line shows the boundary of the nominated area. Photograph numbers and locations are keyed to the discussion in the narrative. SOURCE: Based on extract of Exhibit 1 in Manning et al, Colorado College Historic Preservation Project (1993). NPS Form 10-900a OMBNo. 1024-0018 (Rev. 8/86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Lennox House, El Paso County, Colorado Section number USGS Map Page 19 {Historic Resources of Colorado College MPS)
Arrow indicates location of Lennox House. SOURCE: U.S. Geological Survey, "Colorado Springs, Colo.," 7.5. minute map (Denver, Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey, 1961, revised 1994).